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Weight reduction may reduce AF symptom burden, severity
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In a recent study, weight reduction with intensive risk factor management was associated with reductions in atrial fibrillation symptom and severity and with beneficial cardiac remodeling.
“These findings support therapy directed at weight and risk factors in the management of atrial fibrillation,” researchers wrote.
The randomized controlled study included 150 participants with symptomatic AF and a BMI >27. The single-center study was conducted in Australia from June 2010 to December 2011.
The study was designed to determine the effect of weight reduction and cardiometabolic risk factor management on AF burden and cardiac structure. All participants underwent intensive management of cardiometabolic risk factors and were randomly assigned to weight management or general lifestyle advice. The intervention group followed a tailored very–low-calorie diet and low-intensity exercise program that was gradually increased during the study period. A software-based obesity management system (OBEMAN) was developed to monitor the intervention group.
The participants were followed for a median of 15 months. The intervention group exhibited significantly greater weight reduction compared with the control group (14.3 kg vs. 3.6 kg; P<.001).
The primary outcome of AF symptom burden, using the Atrial Fibrillation Severity Scale, was significantly improved in the intervention group at follow-up (11.8 points vs. 2.6 points; P<.001). The researchers also reported significantly improved symptom severity scores in the intervention group (8.4 points vs. 1.7 points; P<.001), number of AF episodes (2.5 vs. no change; P=.01) and cumulative duration (692-minute decline vs. 419-minute increase; P=.002).
Additionally, interventricular septal thickness (1.1 mm vs. 0.6 mm; P=.02) and left atrial area (3.5 cm2 vs. 1.9 cm2; P=.02) were reduced in both the intervention and control groups.
“The lifestyle and comprehensive metabolic risk factor management program was feasible to deliver, effective, associated with a limited risk of serious adverse events, and resulted in a substantial reduction in the symptom burden and symptom severity of atrial fibrillation,” the researchers wrote.
Disclosure: See the full study for a list of the researchers’ relevant financial disclosures.
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